In the high-stakes world of professional sports, where off-seasons are a time for couch-surfing and recalibrating, Caitlin Clark is doing anything but relaxing. The Indiana Fever rookie sensation and WNBA Rookie of the Year has taken the sports world by storm in just one season, attracting jaw-dropping offers, raising eyebrows, and generally rewriting the rules of what it means to be a young basketball star. But Clark’s latest off-court moves, including a potential career switch to golf, are causing just as much buzz as her electric presence on the hardwood.
Nike Deal, BIG3 Temptation, and a $15 Million Curveball
It’s not every day a player wraps up their first WNBA season and then finds themselves staring down multimillion-dollar offers that sound like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster. But Caitlin Clark is not your everyday player. After securing a cool $28 million contract with Nike — which includes her own shoe line — Clark is now being wooed by BIG3, the 3-on-3 basketball league co-owned by none other than hip-hop icon Ice Cube. The offer reportedly includes a salary that would make her wealthier than 99% of her WNBA peers, a share of team ownership, and even a documentary.
BIG3 co-owner Jeff Kwatinetz took it a step further, hinting that certain high-profile agents were keeping Clark in the dark. His comments? Pure gold: “The NBA commands by fear, and they make sure their industry of agents, lawyers, managers, and networks stay in line,” Kwatinetz said, implying that Clark’s groundbreaking offer had mysteriously gone ‘missing’ somewhere in the matrix of NBA loyalty. Subtle? Not at all.
With a typical rookie salary of just $76,000, Clark’s leap into BIG3 could bring her ten times that amount. Yet when asked if she would break boundaries by becoming the first woman to play in a North American men’s basketball league, Clark shrugged and revealed she heard about the offer through the media. Because, apparently, that’s how million-dollar offers are delivered now.
3-on-3? How About 3-Irons and Tee Times?
Perhaps the BIG3 drama got her rethinking life outside the basketball court, or maybe she just loves golf. Either way, Clark recently revealed she’ll be taking on a very different kind of competition this fall. Instead of running drills in the Fever’s off-season, Clark has signed up to tee off at the Annika Pro-Am tournament in Florida, alongside golf legend Annika Sörenstam.
Clark says she’s “excited” about meeting the LPGA pros and attending the Women’s Leadership Summit, but you just know she’s also looking forward to ditching the full-court press for a bit of sand-trap strategy. As if her debut as a golf guest star weren’t quirky enough, Clark will be hitting the links right as the BIG3 continues to wait for her call.
And ‘Unrivaled’ Has Entered the Chat
Not to be left out of the Caitlin Clark sweepstakes, ‘Unrivaled,’ the new 3-on-3 women’s league co-founded by former WNBA star Napheesa Collier, tried to woo her with the ultimate basketball setup. Co-founder David Levy even dropped a not-so-subtle hint that the league would go so far as to relocate to Iowa if that’s what it would take to secure Clark’s magic on the court. Yet Clark, keeping her poker face strong, has hinted that her sights may be set elsewhere.
This isn’t just a young athlete’s off-season; it’s a master class in high-stakes negotiations, social media buzz, and a healthy dose of intrigue. Clark, who’s been hailed as “the future of women’s basketball,” is steering her career with an iron grip — and maybe a golf club or two — proving that she’s as savvy as she is talented. As her story unfolds, one thing’s for sure: the off-season is officially over for Caitlin Clark.
